Illustration by Marc Conaco
When: Wednesday 17 October, 5.30-7 pm
Where: Old Government House, cnr Princes St and Waterloo Quadrant, CBD, Auckland.
Who: MC Erena Shingade with readings from Richard von Sturmer, Jack Ross, Iain Britton, Selina Ershadi, JM Francis, Amber French, Chris Holdaway, Renee Liang, Bobby Park and Sam Te Kani.
Number 65 in a popular series of poetry readings hosted by the University of Auckland in the Old Government House lounge.
Edited by Olivia Macassey. 144pp.
Featuring work by: Ivy Alvarez, Aimee-Jane Anderson-O’Connor, Nick Ascroft, Victor Billot, Iain Britton, Isaac Brodie, Brent Cantwell, Stephanie Christie, Mary Cresswell, Brett Cross, Makyla Curtis, William Direen, John Downie, Doc Drumheller, John Geraets, Michael Giacon, Rata Gordon, Dale Johnson, Robert Kempen, Sid Khanzode, Rosalie Liu, Caoimhe McKeogh, joshua morris, Michael Morrisey, Janet Newman, Piet Nieuwland, Andrew Maximillian Niss, Keith Nunes, Vaughan Rapatahana, Sahanika Ratnayake, Jack Ross, Lisa Samuels, Carin Smeaton, Michael Steven, Fiona Stevens, Richard Taylor, Denys Trussell, Richard von Sturmer, E Wen Wong, Mark Young.
Reviews: Jen Crawford reviews Excerpts from a Natural History by Holly Painter and The Burnt Hotel by Olivia Macassey.
“an isle of amusements, mysteries and wonders…”
A supplement to the current issue is located here.
A supplement to issue 55 is located here.
The Journal of New Zealand Literature (JNZL) has a special issue which is likely to be of interest to brief readers.
Entitled New Writing 1975-2000 and edited by John Geraets, it contains essays by Owen Bullock, Wystan Curnow, Makyla Curtis, Murray Edmond, John Geraets, Roger Horrocks, Jack Ross, and Robert Sullivan.
For more details, visit the JNZL website.
Did Mike Johnson know that there had once been a “Babylon” on the Kaipara when he chose that name for his imaginary village? I don’t know. I haven’t asked him.
Even if he had, would it make much difference to the nature of the novel he dreamt up: that strange mixture of courtly erudition and intense, provincial ignorance? Not directly, no. His larger point would, I’m sure, remain valid in either case.
Why bother to go and look for it, then?
I suppose, if I were to be honest, that the impetus for this quest – and the larger study of “Speculative Fictional” landscapes within New Zealand which it forms a part of – is largely supplied by its paradoxical nature…
– Jack Ross
The following is a colour supplement for Jack Ross‘ essay, How Many Miles to Babylon? which appears in brief issue 55. All photographs: Bronwyn Lloyd (5/8/16).
Mike Johnson: Lear (1986)
Mike Johnson’s dystopian SF novel is set on a waterway described only as “the river,” in a tiny settlement called “Babylon.”
Tangiteroria
Scaffolding at Tangiteroria, on SH14 between Whangarei and Dargaville.
Northern Wairoa River
Northern Wairoa River
The upper reaches of “the river” – at Tangiteroria.
The view
The view from Tangiteroria, looking towards the West Coast.
Tangowahine
A prototype for Babylon? The tiny settlement of Tangowahine, on the way towards the coast.
Wairoa River (Dargaville)
Funnily enough, the Wairoa River was always referred to simply as “the river” by the inhabitants of the Kapipara. Here it is at its widest, looking over towards Te Kopuru.
Babylon Coast Road
The sign is on SH 12, 6 kms north of Dargaville.
Babylon Coast Road
Stop!
Babylon Coast Road
Storm clouds coming over the hills from Babylon: the former gum-digging settlement down near Baylys Beach.
The full text of How Many Miles to Babylon? Three Faces of Mike Johnson’s Lear by Jack Ross appears in brief issue 55.
Shipwrecks/Shelters: Six Contemporary Greek Poets, edited and translated by Vana Manasiadis, and Observations: Poems by Claudio Pasi, translated by Tim Smith with Marco Sonzogni.
When: Wednesday 16 December, 6pm
Where: St Paul St Gallery, 40 Paul St, Auckland
Who: Readings by Vana Manasiadis, Paula Green, Hemi Kelly, Glenn Colquhoun, Tulia Thompson, Siobhan Harvey, Doug Poole, and Jack Ross.
A multilingual poetry reading to celebrate the launch of the first the first two chapbooks in the Seraph Press Translation Series. Poetry readings in and from Greek, Italian, Maori, Fijian, Norwegian, Samoan, and French.
Where: Titirangi Library
When: Saturday 10 September, 2pm – 3.45pm
Who: Jack Ross and Stu Bagby
Followed by a round robin where everyone is invited to read a poem, their own or anyone else’s. MC Piers Davies. Contact 5246 927 or piers@wwandd.co.nz for further information.
Jack Ross has been the managing editor of Poetry New Zealand since 2014. His publications to date include five poetry collections, three novels and three books of short fiction. He works as a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Massey University’s Albany Campus.
Stu Bagby has published both as an anthologist and a poet. His poetry has appeared in several collections and has been included in the Best of the Best New Zealand Poems and Essential New Zealand Poems. He hopes to have a new collection of poems ready for publication later this year.
Edited by Olivia Macassey. 136pp.
Featuring work by: John Adams, Nick Ascroft, Cassandra Atherton, Stu Bagby, Cassandra Barnett, Iain Britton, Isaac Brodie, Berengaria Burns, Stephanie Christie, Mary Cresswell, David Lyndon Brown, Rene Harrison, Ted Jenner, Matt Kelly, Robert Kempen, Sid Khanzode, Harvey Molloy, Janet Newman, Piet Nieuwland, Keith Nunes, Sugu Pillay, Vaughan Rapatahana, Sean Redmond, Jack Ross, Carin Smeaton, Ruby Solly, Fiona Stevens, Richard Taylor, Richard von Sturmer, Bill Wolak, Mark Young.
Reviews: Michael Onslow-Osbourne reviews Carbon Shapes and Dark Matter by Stephanie Christie; Olivia Macassey reviews Song of the Ghost in the Machine by Roger Horrocks.
“Love, exciting and new/ Come aboard, we’re expecting you” (Paul Williams, Love Boat Theme)
Editor: Alex Wild (Poetry editor: Brett Cross). 150pp.
Featuring work by: Nick Ascroft, Sarah Bogle, Zarah Butcher-McGunnigle, Isobel Cairns, Joel Chace, Stephanie Christie, Kate Davis, Erin Doyle, Murray Edmond, Rachel Fenton, Fresh and Fruity Manifesto, John Geraets, Ted Jenner, Sid Khanzode, Geum Hye Kim, Olivia Macassey, Harvey Molloy, Jun Moungboon, Keith Nunes, Sugu Pillay, Vaughan Rapatahana, Manon Revuelta, Jack Ross, Carin Smeaton, Richard von Sturmer, Richard Taylor, Mark Young.
Reviews: Richard Taylor reviews The Blinding Walk by K. M. Ross; John Geraets reviews The Gold Leaves by Edward Jenner.
Brief is an independent print journal based in New Zealand - a space for new writing: interesting, experimental, adventurous, challenging, alternative, and exploratory.